Tjerck Claessen DeWitt

born ca. 1618, Groot Holum, Ostfriesland
died 17 February 1700/1, Hurley, New York

Barbara Andrieszen [family name unknown]

born in Amsterdam [?], probably ca. 1635
died 6 September 1714, Hurley, New York

Taatje DeWitt

MVDW 3
TGE 3. ii. Family 3.
born 1659 - died 20 September 1707
probably born in what today is Albany, New York
(Her parents had a house there at the time, but local church records from those years were kept irregularly if at all, according to later deacons. The earliest original records were transcribed, but later perished in a fire. Her parents subsequently moved to today’s Kingston, New York, the area where Taatje would have come of age.)
buried in Kingston, New York

Taatje note from Andries DeWitt Bible

From the Bible of Andries DeWitt (courtesy of Matthew Ten Eyck DeWitt Family Collection), in Andries’ handwriting, the entry describing Taatje’s death: “On 20 September 1707 at mid-morning on Saturday my sister Taetten Mattysen departed this life and on the 22nd of the month was buried in the churchyard.” (translation by Charles Gehring)

Matthys Mattysen Van Keuren

marriage record not found in Kingston; presumably married 1677
Some of their children’s baptisms are found in Old Dutch Church records in Kingston (see R.R. Hoes book noted in Sources below). Others are not.
His parents are reported as Matthys Jansen [Van Keuren] and Margarette Hendrickse [family name unknown]; see Evans p. 5. He seems to have a brother Jan (see joint baptism in Kingston 24 April 1681), as well as other siblings. Evans adds, “After the death of her husband, Margaret Hendrickse . . . married Thomas Chambers, Lord of the Manor of Fox Hall, in Ulster County.”
burial location

Mattys Mattysen is the son of Mattys Jansen [Van Keuren], who died before 21 March 1663, and Margarita Hendericks; he is stepson of Thomas Chambers, who married Margarita after Jan died. Mattys has siblings, including a sister Catrina. See for example 20 March 1668 (Kingston Papers pp. 402-403), where Mattys in Wildwyck town council says he is nearly of age and able to cultivate his own land, so he seeks to be released from guardianship. Thomas Chambers and the guardians of his stepchildren, incluing Mattys and Catrina, had a long tussle in Wildwyck court over rights to land, lease payments, etc. Catrina was the victim of ongoing spousal abuse by her husband, Jan Jansen Van Amsersfoort, who was at one point banished for his behavior. More notes are on Tjerck’s page.

See Kingston Papers pp. 683-684, 27 June 1670, when he buys a mare from Asser Levy in Manhattan. He is appointed one of three examiners of stallions in Kingston 20 March 1672, Kingston Papers p. 480, and is nominated the same day to become a council member, p. 481.)

Sara Van Keuren

MVDW 27
TGE 27. i.
named for her father’s mother?
baptized 16 April 1678
parents: Tajie de Witt and Mattys Mattys
witnesses: Wm. d Maier, Mr. Chambrs [Thomas Chambers]
(baptized at Kingston)
married Matthew Du Bois date and location
burial location

Lea Van Keuren

MVDW 28
TGE 28. ii.
named for ? (traditionally her mother’s mother, but Lea’s mother’s mother is Barbara Andrieszen)
baptized 11 May 1679
parents: Tiatie De Wit and Matys Matysse
witnesses: Joris Davidts, Barber Andriesse
baptized “at Horley” (Hurley)
marriage date and location
burial location

Mattys Van Keuren

MVDW 29
TGE 29. iii.
named for his father’s father
baptized 24 April 1681
witnesses/sponsors: Tomas Cambers [Thomas Chambers], Lowrensya Chambers
parents: Tyatye de Witt and Mattys Mattysen
(baptized at Kingston)
married Tryntje Slecht [TGE: Sleght] date and location
burial location

See Kingston records (Board of Supervisors Minutes 1700 to 1731 and 1793 to 1795) at Ulster County Archives:

1702
In the twelfth year of ye Reign of William the third King of England
The Jurors for our sovereign Lord the King does upon
oath present that Mattys Mattysen Junior under
the Cover of his father Mattys Mattysen Senior
husbandman in the Corperation of Kingstowne in
ye County of Ulster has on the first of September Last
past in the year of his majestie Reigne aforesd. using
and mishaved himself before the door of Thomus
Noxin of Kingstowne in ye County aforesd. ?
Is being against the peace of our sovereign Lord the
King aforesd.
Billa Vera
Th. Noxin Foreman

(William III was crowned 11 April 1689, so the 13th year of his reign would begin 11 April 1701.)

Tirck [Tjerck] Van Keuren

MVDW 30
TGE 30. iv.
named for his mother’s father
baptized 24 December 1682, Kingston, N.Y.
witnesses/sponsors: Jan Tyse, Magdaleen Blan Jean, Cornelis Switz
parents: Mattys Matysz and Tjaatie Wit
(baptized at Kingston)
married Marytje Ten Eyck date and location
possibly died 1742; see Sara DeWitt, MVDW 366, who a century later marries Tjerck’s great-grandson Tjerck Bevier
burial location

Thomas Van Keuren

MVDW 31
TGE 31. v.
possibly named for Thomas Chambers?
baptized 1 November 1684; died before 1689
witnesses: Jan Hendricz, Anna Matysz [his father’s sister?]
parents: Matys Matyze and Tjadje de Wit
(baptized at Kingston)
burial location

Barbara Van Keuren

MVDW 32
TGE 32. vi.
named for her mother’s mother
baptized 11 October 1685
witnesses: Cornelis Hogeboom and Anjie Slegt
parents: Matys Matyz and Taadje de Wit
(baptized at Kingston)
married (1) Cornelius Everts Wynkoop date and location
married (2) Peter Tappen date and location
burial location

Klaes Van Keuren

MVDW 33
TGE 33. vii.
named for (probably) his mother’s father’s father
baptized 4 December 1687
parents: Matthys Mattyssen and Thiatje de Witthe
witnesses: Jan Focke, Ghiertruy de Witthe [his mother’s younger sister]
(baptized at Kingston)
marriage date and location
burial location

Taatje also participates as witness at other baptisms, notably that of her older brother’s daughter Barbara:
23 May 1686: Jan Evertz and Sytie Jacobz baptize Evert; witnesses Jan Focke and Taidje de Wit
22 August 1686: Andries de With and Jannetie Egbertz baptize Barbara; witnesses Cornelis Lambertz, Taidtie de Wit
There may be others.

Thomas Van Keuren

MVDW 34
TGE 34. viii.
named for ?
baptized 13 October 1689 [recorded on that date; may have been performed earlier]
parents: Mattys Mattys and Tjaetje de Witt
witnesses: Cornelis Bogardus, Rachel de Witt [the mother’s sister]
married Mary Pawling date and location
burial location

Hasuel [Jasuel] Van Keuren

MVDW 35
TGE 35. ix.
named for ?
baptized 28 January 1692
parents: Mathys Mathysen and Tjaatje de Witt
witnesses: Cornelis Bogardus, Lysbeth Blangan
married Mary Riker date and location
burial location

Cornelis Van Keuren

MVDW 36
TGE 36. x.
named for ?
baptized 3 June 1694 [same date as his mother’s brother baptizes his daughter Ike!]
parents: Mathys Mathysen and Tyaatje de Wit
witnesses: Willem Jacobsen, Jannetje de Wit [his mother’s sister]
married (1) Kesiah Hoogteling date and location
married (2) Cornelia (Newkirk) Brinkerhoff [TGE: Hoff] date and location
burial location

Benjamin Van Keuren

MVDW 37
TGE 37. xi.
named for ?
baptized 18 October 1696
parents: Matthys Matthyssen and Tjaatje de Wit
witnesses: Thomas Janssen, Marytje Steenbergen
marriage date and location
burial location

Notes

Taatje was taken prisoner in 1663 during the Esopus attack on Wildwyck.

I have not seen a clear account of when Taatje was returned, though records show for many months afterward that the family still did not have her back.

She is described as “Tjerck Claessen de Witt’s oldest daughter” in the list of hostages taken (published in various sources; see for example O’Callaghan’s 1851 Documentary History of the State of New York, Vol. IV, p. 40).

Her capture is recounted in a history of the Oberholtzer family by Elisha Scott Loomis, who indicates that his source is Thomas Grier Evans’ short summary of the first DeWitt generations (also published, I believe, in the NYGBS Record), in Marius Schoonmaker’s History of Kingston (p. 33), and in several other accounts of early Kingston.

Evans’ account (p. 5 of his genealogy; see full citation in Sources below): “She was carried off by the Indians at the burning of Kingston in 1663, but was rescued. In 1677 she m. Matthys Matthyssen . . . who, in 1685, was commissioned as captain in the army and later served against the French on the northern frontier.”

When the attack took place, Tjerck and Barbara DeWitt had baptized Andries, Taatje (probably 1659, likely in Albany) and Jannetje (baptized 12 February 1662 in Wildwyck).

For a richer account with some sources indicated and additional details, see this page at Wikitree.

Pix

Sources

I’m just beginning to list sources here. Apologies for not being more complete. I will continue to add to this list as I have time. There are many sources of information on the DeWitt family line, some better than others.

Printed sources:

The DeWitt Genealogy: Descendants of Tjereck Claessen DeWitt of Ulster County, New York; compiled by Mary V[eldran] DeWitt (b. 1895) (privately published; no year indicated). This volume includes only names and dates, no attributions or locations or other stories or information are included. It includes nearly 2800 DeWitt descendants, some with more details, some fewer. It also includes some information on spouses and their parents. The laboriously typewritten volume came from years of personal research, often onsite in Ulster County; the current location of notes from this research is not known, but some of them may have gone to the Genealogical Society of Bergen County (New Jersey), where Mary DeWitt grew up and lived much of her life.

Baptismal and Marriage Registers of the Old Dutch Church of Kingston, Ulster County, New York (formerly named Wiltwyck, and often familiarly called Esopus or ’Sopus), for One Hundred and Fifty Years from their commencement in 1660. Transcribed and edited by Roswell Randall Hoes, Chaplain U.S.N., corresponding secretary of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, etc. New York 1891; available today from Higginson Book Co., Salem, Mass., 508-745-7170. Detailed information about baptisms has been filled in through the end of 1687, marriages through 1701. More information is available. Records begin 1660. Other baptisms may have taken place in Hurley and other locations nearby; also from time to time itinerant ministers would travel through and perform various rites, not always entered in the books. This is available online at archive.org.

Thomas Grier Evans, The De Witt Family of Ulster County, New York (reprinted from the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, October 1886), New York: Trow’s Printing and Bookbinding Co., 201-213 East Twelfth Street, 1886. Available online from archive.org.

Andries DeWitt Bible (not available in print, but see photos above and on Andries’ page), courtesy of the Matthew Ten Eyck DeWitt Family Collection.

Online sources:

Record of early marriages in the Dutch Reform Church in Manhattan, available in printed form or online

Record of early baptisms in the Dutch Reform Church in Manhattan, available online

English translations of Dutch colonial records, also known as “The Kingston Papers,” available online. These are the Dingman Versteeg translations. The originals are available on microfilm from the Ulster County archivist, who can be found through the same link. A cross-reference indexing the archive pages to the microfilm frames to the pages in the printed translation can be obtained from Donald Lockhart, dlockhart at rcn dot com, who includes an entertaining introduction about the misadventures of the original manuscript records in the 1800s, before they were at last safely ensconced with the Ulster County archives.

Also see The History of Kingston, New York, by Marius Schoonmaker (1888), a volume thick with detail and transcribed original records.

Reproduced herein:

Wills of Tjerck Claessen DeWitt and his brother Jan, who died unmarried in Kingston, 1699 (1906 Anjou edition)

Very cursory look at public records from Albany, NY, regarding Tjerck Claessen DeWitt and possible relatives.

The Peltz Record (1948)

The History of Ulster County, New York

The Oberholtzer Genealogy

Research assistance:

Notes.

Last Modified: Friday, November 3, 2023

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